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You were not one of the scheduled arrivals, and thus, your entrance to the flying city was one that had been met with mixed reactions. A person claiming to be a God, but one that was not on record as a God, or even on record at all for that matter, was, in retrospect a suspicious enough circumstance that some amount of extra attention would have been pushed off onto you. It was an understandable matter, even you did not know entirely why you had come here, it had just seemed like something you should do, a driving impulse that resonated deep with you as a person, and so you had made your way here with the help of a particularly friendly angel.

And their response had been to immediately bring you to the Archangel; the military leader of this Celestia, the real ruler, not like the principal of the Academy.

Her name was Mariel Soraumi, according to her own introduction, and-

"So, what aspects of your past do you remember, Lord?"

-Out of all of the people you had ever met, she was the only one who gave off the 'authority,' of a Queen to this extent. While you were a God, and pretty confident in yourself, her presence was somehow unnerving... Not in the sense that she was inherently frightening, but like... The sort of fear that comes with facing one's parents after having done something wrong, but being unsure of exactly what that wrong thing was...

Messing with an Archangel was a good way to get beaten into a Coma, even for a God.

Gods had the brute force... But Archangels...

Were really, really good...

Everyone she had spoken to had seemed compelled to answer her, and not a single one had talked back, or had started a conversation without being spoken too first.

She didn't seem to be a bad person though...

"Your case is strange. By all means, as a God you are allowed to exist on this Celestia as a student, however, a God that doesn't appear on record simply should not exist," continuing with that same queen-like tone, the Archangel flicks through an almost comically large stack of papers with a tired, but still casual ease, "Are you perhaps some sort of Netherworld experiment? Did you awaken in an abandoned military base? Or in the human world? Anything of that nature?"

You had told the story quite a few times already, but it seems she wanted to hear it herself, directly from you.

Outside a nearby window, you could see the morning sun sinking below the sea of clouds, going to shine down on the human world... And a bit closer, you can see students of all types wandering around the gardens outside, intent, perhaps, on going to see the other "Gods," that would appear here today.

While your teacher had never been the best example of a Devil, being here, on an airship to Ecclesia, surrounded by Devils on all sides, on a ship that could very easily come under attack by a dragon before you reached the school, made it clear how different her aura really was in comparison to the others. While the other 'prodigy' students seemed to hold a certain hint of 'danger,' to them, your dark haired teacher seemed to more radiate 'mischief,' than anything else, and...

"Are you excited Ryu-kun? We're going to Ecclesia!"

A hand coming down to lightly grasp your head, the figure of Cerys Naberius turns your head towards her with a bright energetic smile that seriously didn't fit the dreary wasteland the two of you were leaving behind on this ship. She didn't seem to notice that people were staring, not just because a "God," was on the plane, but because there was something about you that invited this sort of attention...

How to say it...

You were very... Bully-esque... Had a bit of a confrontational air...

A particularly annoying devil with red hair had been staring at you since the two of you had gotten on, but, having had your head moved against your will, it seems he had won...

This time...

"We'll be getting a new roommate too! Although I don't know many angels, I got told about this one... Apparently it's a girl~ How do you feel about that, eh? Eh?"

There were far too many people on this ship, and all of them were way too excited about the fact that "God," was on board with them. From the very first moment you had stepped onto the massive vessel, it had been nothing but crowds of angels looking your way, some wanting to come up and speak with you but feeling too nervous to actually go through with it, others seemingly wary, and still more simply curious, determined to see what this incarnation of the "Lord," was like, one that had come from their home Celestia.

It had been interesting enough at first, but their constant attention had quickly become draining, and so, with a somewhat forced smile, you had pushed your way out of the cabin and onto the deck in an attempt to be alone. The ship was massive, far bigger than the thirty or so angels on board needed to descend to Ecclesia, but because you had to go through enemy territory in order to reach the school, and a God was on board, it seems that your Celestia had sprung a bit more on this year's transport to the school.

This ship even had weapons, which was rather rare in this day and age.

Normally the passengers were the weapons.

If you rode on a ship, you were expected to help defend it.

Thankfully, the air seemed to be clear of hostiles, and there was no one else out on the sky deck, so you had it all to yourself...

"Oh? So you ran out here..."

...Or at least you had had it to yourself.

Although there were worse people that could have interrupted you.

As a childhood friend, Celes probably had that right to chase you down when you fled.

"It's a bit crowded in there, huh?" walking past you, towards the railing, the teal haired girl smiles as she leans back against it, "Feeling any better about godhood yet?"

Last edited by Airen; September 7th, 2015 at 12:56 AM.

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

If Shintarou was truly honest, this was not… quite what he had expected when he set foot on the stairs of this place. “Ecclesia”, as he had learned quite quickly, was a school for the gifted. For “Gods” and other individuals of the mystical sorts. Why his intuition had led him to this place was another question altogether, but Shintarou had more pressing concerns at the moment.

Mainly the inquisitive gaze of the rather attractive archangel sitting in front of him.

While Shintarou could profess to have met one or two people during his travels who possessed, what could only be called, a “powerful” presence, it was the first time that he had met someone who had quite such a level of… spiritual forcefulness, for the lack of a better word. And while he could detect an undercurrent of kindness, it was very much just that. An undercurrent.

Indeed. To call her the very manifestation of “Authority” would probably not be that much of a stretch.

A wave of unbidden nervousness washed through Shintarou’s body, as the young man unconciously adjusted the crimson scarf wrapped around his neck, with a rather apologetic smile on his face.

“My apologies, but I’m afraid the answer is... pretty much nothing. I can’t remember anything beyond my name and that alone. I can’t even recall when or where I was born, nor can I remember anyone I was previously involved with, my parents included.”

The young man let out an apologetic shrug. While usually a gesture that was associated with casual dismissal and aloofness, only sincere regret was visible from scarfed youth. More then that, one could distinctly sense that Shintarou’s regret was truly over not being able to tell more to the woman in front of her, rather then from any residual regret over the loss of his memories themselves.

"Are you perhaps some sort of Netherworld experiment? Did you awaken in an abandoned military base? Or in the human world? Anything of that nature?"

The hesitant smile on Shintarou’s face blossomed into full as he finally heard something he could explain further.

“I awoke in the middle of a field in Celestia. I think I should be able to provide directions, but I don’t think there is anything of note there. Just a field filled with hay and buttercups, not much else.”

Shintarou’s eyes clouded over in thought, as he subconsciously started to thumb the end of his scarf. Clearly a vestigial habit that he had no recognition of himself, but one he had picked up somewhere nonetheless.

“At least I could not find anything upon my awakening, but your skill in such areas most likely far outstrips my own, so you might have more luck, Soraumi-dono. I think its… approximately a month’s walk on foot from here? If you have a more detailed map, I could probably mark it down for you, if that is your wish.”

With those words, Shintarou’s eyes crossed with the blonde archangel in front of him once more. Almost immediately, his more exuberant smile calmed down, morphing into something that was not quite as enthusiastic, but neither as hesitant as his earlier demeanour.

“Also, I don’t know if it is too much a hassle, but could you please not call me “Lord”, Soraumi-dono? It kind of feels strange and slightly uncomfortable, if I am completely honest.”

That about sums up how I feel with all these people gawking at me as if I were some sort of animal in a zoo or new attraction at the circus. To think that not too long ago these same people would have probably ignored me, let alone batted an eye at my presence, but now that I've become God I'm practically the talk of the Netherworld and who knows where else. Funny how quickly things can change once you've earned a little power, huh?

Still I think the worst of this lot were those few devils who looked at me as if they wanted a fight, like that guy over there. That red-haired bastard has been glaring at me ever since I got on. Don't know what's his problem, but I'm no wimp, no way I'm backing down! If he wants to go, we can go right now!

Originally Posted by Cerys

"Are you excited Ryu-kun? We're going to Ecclesia!"

My head turns against my will towards my caretaker, Cerys Naberius, thus breaking off the glaring contest I had with that one punk devil. If it was someone else I'd have probably decked them right then and there however for Cerys...well she was special, which is why I put up with her antics.

I did however frown at her question, more out of puzzlement then any sort of displeasure.

"Excited? No, not really. I mean, should I be? Sure it's a place where I can learn more about this power of mine, but it's still just a school built on one of the Angels' floating islands, ain't it?"

Originally Posted by Cerys

"We'll be getting a new roommate too! Although I don't know many angels, I got told about this one... Apparently it's a girl~ How do you feel about that, eh? Eh?"

I roll my eyes in response to her question.

So that's what the sly devil was thinking of when she got that mischievous look on her face, the one which often followed with her doing something and me acting in some sort of embarrassed manner or other. Honestly sometimes I wonder who exactly is the adult in this relationship, let alone teacher. Nonetheless I won't fall for it this time! I've been around her long enough that such an easy trap won't be able to catch me off guard!

"Mhm I guess it'll be something to meet an angel for the first time, but other than that...well I've already lived with you for a good while now, so how different could it be with her living with us?"

Hopefully that would put the potentially embarrassing subject to rest for the time being, but considering it was, Cerys I doubt she'd let such a golden opportunity go to waste once we got there. Well whatever, I'll deal with it as it comes along.

I turn my head to look out the nearby window, observing the barren landscape that we passed by. It was completely devoid of life, save for the occasional creature that popped up every once in a while. Yet even so somehow villages were able to scrape by in such a desolate land, just like...

Tch, what the hell am I doing going and thinking about that now? And what's up with this flight, I'm starting to feel as though I could have walked there faster than riding this piece of junk.

"So how much longer do you think it'll take before we get there anyway?"

Until recently, he was a normal male human, maybe gifted with a little more talent and intellect than others, but a human nonetheless. He woke up, went to school, maybe visit the library to borrow some books before going home, then spend his free time reading. Perhaps there is a little change here and there, but otherwise the usual routine of Surga Utopia was something most would consider as "boring".

But it was enough. That peaceful, quiet everyday life is what Surga Utopia wanted in life.

He had no grand dreams to strive for and had no enemies to be vanquished. While he disliked devils, it was not so great that he would try to eradicate all of them; similarly, he held no grudge against F.A.T.E. Such big conflicts were always big, too big for a single human like him to do anything to change it. In his mind, such matters are better handled by those who had the power to make a difference, and a puny human such as himself is definitely not one of them.

And then, he became God.

It was so surreal that even now, he still had a hard time believing it. When he was first told about it, his mind couldn't really process what had actually happened... And when he finally come to terms with this revelation and that his normal everyday life was definitely over, he had naively thought that he could handle it.

He was proven wrong when he boarded the airship.

Crowds of angels had stared at him when he set foot to the massive vessel. Some were wary, others simply curious; he even spotted a few who were too nervous to muster the courage to talk to him. All of this attention was new, something he weren't used to. He was used being ignored, to be treated as just another human to be protected by the angels, and he was fine with that.

But today... Those angels actually acknowledged him. Angels whom he always viewed highly, who are generally so saint-like that he couldn't help but see them superior to humans, are wary and curious of him.

Only then did he realized the weight of the title known as "God".

God is God. Even if Archangels actually surpassed them in ranks and sometimes power, Surga has forgotten that most people and angels looked up to the one known as God. The adoration, fear and curiosity that came with the title of "God" made it clear that with great power, come great responsibility.

Now that he actually had some time to think after escaping the eyes of the crowds, Surga realized that he'd also need to meet and befriend a devil. This is a problem, because while he wouldn't use such a strong word like "hate", Surga Utopia definitely dislike the devils. This viewpoint is only natural for someone who practically grew up raised and taught by the angels; while he knew better than to judge someone from their race alone, something that have been drilled into his head for so long wouldn't disappear so easily.

Angels are good.

Devils are bad.

This made his expectation for both races to be different. He'd expect angels to be holy, dignified and pure. Devils would be rude, destructive and tainted. This means that if he saw an angel behaving like a devil, he'd see them worse than the devils because angels are supposed to give an example to humans. Similarly, he'd respect a devil who could prove that their race aren't simply made of battle-hungry brutes.

That being said, he had never met a devil before, and most angels behave in a way that is described in textbooks, so he can safely assume that most devils behave like typical devils.

...He could only hope that the devil he should befriend would defy the norm.

As he thought about that...

Originally Posted by Celes Lethe

"Oh? So you ran out here..."

A soft voice has interrupted his thoughts. While normally the man known as Surga Utopia would sigh in annoyance at the interruption, for this occasion no such thing happened. Instead, he turned his head and gave a small smile at his childhood friend.

Celes Lethe was a petite angel, a head shorter than him and looked much younger than she actually is. While most angels are dressed rather modern, Celes evoked an image of a priestess with her white shawl, robe and hat. Unlike most angels, Celes is quiet, soft-spoken and humble, making her more human than other angels.

She is also the only friend of Surga Utopia, and he greatly cherished his friendship with the girl.

Originally Posted by Celes Lethe

"It's a bit crowded in there, huh?"

"Yeah." Surga replied as he watched Celes walked past him and leaned back against the railing. One of the reason she was his friend was because unlike most, Celes had never forced him to do unnecessary social interactions which greatly tires him. She let him avoid them, and he was grateful for that. After making herself comfortable, Celes asked another question.

Originally Posted by Celes Lethe

"Feeling any better about godhood yet?"

Surga shook his head as he too leaned against the railing. "If anything, I had only realized what it means to be God after I walked on this airship, not to mention I had to meet and befriend a devil. Godhood also forced me to abandon my plan to live a quiet life, so I still think that this is troublesome."

Looking at the morning sky and admiring them, Surga continued.

"But I cannot change the past. I am now God, so I guess I have to cope with it. And while there are disadvantages, surely becoming God also had its benefits."

"Besides..." Surga paused as he gave a smile to Celes. It was not a fake smile which he gave to the crowds of angels, nor does that smile held any ulterior motive. This smile was genuine, coming from the bottom of his heart to thank the only person whom he could genuinely called his friend.

"I am not alone."

Random Regalia Hijinks

<Mellon> But yeah. Don't play the waiting game too much guys. Just do what you want to do and let God (me) sort it out.

"Oh, does it?" Letting loose a small smile at the request, the archangel stops fiddling with the nearby stacks of papers, eyes alight with a gentle humor, "It's always one way or the other I suppose, some feel uncomfortable, others like it, but that is an easy enough request to grant. I will use Shishioka-kun instead, if that is fine with you."

Not waiting for your answer, the woman immediately gets back down to business, the small smile fading back into that undercurrent of kindness as the no-nonsense personality returns to the forefront.

"Still, enigma or not, you certainly seem to be telling the truth," hands coming together at the front of the desk, the woman continues without pause, "I won't pry any further for now. If you took the time to walk all the way here, as my reports seem to reinforce, then you must be somewhat fatigued, I apologize for dragging you here so unceremoniously."

Another pause, a small breath, and a hand snaking out to grab a paper from the top of a nearby stack.

"Now then, putting aside the circumstances of your origin, if you wish to study here, it is your right as a "God," to do so, and I would encourage it as well," still speaking, but eyes completely on her paperwork now, the archangel's pen seems to fly across the surface of the white sheet with godspeed, "We are the one school that handles this sort of thing, but it will take awhile to get you processed, especially because of your lack of an assigned Angel and Devil... But I'm sure we can find someone to take those roles for you. It's not the first time a God has appeared without them."

A page flips, and she's onto the second one in a heartbeat.

"Today is the welcoming ceremony, so there will be some other new Gods appearing here today. It should be starting soon, right at 10:00, if that mad headmaster gets everything ready in time. After that, there's a sort of special combat initiation for the new Gods and their partners, and then some free time until tomorrow so that the new students can actually get used to the city. You picked an excellent day to show your existence, I suppose."

Another small smile, then...

"Now, if that all sounds agreeable to you, I suppose you are free to go where you please until the ceremony. I'll handle your paperwork, cross reference with the other Celestia to perhaps find a clue about you, and do my best to find you two partners before the initiation battles. I believe the cafeteria should still be serving breakfast down on the first floor, there is no need for an I.D for now, your crystal itself should serve as enough of one. Although, if you're not hungry, I'm sure a few other Gods are hanging around the port, perhaps you could go introduce yourself... They'll be in almost all of your classes, after all."

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

"Eh, just a school?" Seemingly displeased with your answer, the dark haired devil almost seems to explode into a lecture, once again showing a sort of spirit that the other, 'elite,' devils did not, "It's not just a school Ryu-kun! It's the best school! The Academy City! Everyone there is supposed to be outrageously strong!" Right hand clenched into a fist, the older girl's eyes almost seem to catch flame, as if for some reason the thought excited her, "Not only that, all of the facilities are supposedly state of the art! The absolute best in both angel and devil tech! Even an illusionary Colosseum! And I've heard great things about the food too, apparently the school's cafeteria has a five-star chef lurking around for special occasions!"

Falling into a small rant about the city, about how it was important as a symbol for the three hundred year and counting cooperation between angels and devils, and that the actual job of "God," was to make sure that everyone got along, the slightly air-headed teacher finally remembers that you had actually asked her two more things, and, after a brief flush and cough, she puts on her joker face again in an attempt to ensnare you in a trap you had long ago disarmed.

"It's different because you won't be used to her, you've gotten used to me, it's gonna be fun to watch~ I hope she's cute though... An uncute angel just seems wrong..."

Leaving things vague, very vague, Cerys winks again, then, finally, returns to some manner of 'normalcy,' as she looks around the ship, taking it all in in order to best answer the last question.

"This ship looks pretty new... I think the Demonica has a Mana-Combustion Engine, so once we build up some steam and get through the dimensional barrier, it should be a pretty smooth ride. Maybe another... Twenty minutes or so?"

The ship rocks for a moment as it reaches the purple-red, cloudy skies of the Netherworld. Outside, the barren wasteland disappears, black clouds appearing to block the view, and a slight feeling of pressure hits your body as the ship shoots forward with new purpose, the dull roar of the engine finally audible for the first time.

"Of course, that's assuming nothing tries to stop us on the way there," looking out the window, much like you, the teacher who at times seemed more immature than you closes one eye, "These sorts of ships have a reputation for being attacked by Dragons. F.A.T.E isn't very nice, so if we get unlucky, someone in here might have to go punch one off the sky deck."

A brief pause, a finger on her chin, then...

"They'd probably expect you to do it actually."

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

Falling silent for a moment, the teal haired angel turns her head slightly, as if expecting to see something in the distance soon, and, your eyes naturally moving to follow her own, you see it when it happens. The ship descending down through the heavenly cloud sea, rocking gently, back and forth as it passes through an invisible gateway to the crystallized human world below. Having never been away from home, the sight strikes you as rather odd, but still pretty, in spite of it's existence as a sign of tragedy. The blue planet far below, Earth, as it was called three hundred years ago, now looked to be entirely coated in crystal ice, a mark of the Fimbulwinter that had yet to fade even after three hundred years.

You couldn't see through the crystal from this far away, but, apparently if you could, you would see the frozen remain of civilization, towns and cities frozen in time, oceans with no clear entry point...

Still, from far enough away, it was a rather unique sight, like a Crystal Forest.

"Although, it's also my first time away from home," speaking without looking at you, but clearly talking to you, Celes seems to pause for a bit before continuing, "Never even been to another Celestia, so I guess it's kind of an adventure."

She didn't sound very excited, but when she turned back to you, she was certainly still grinning.

"But hey, it looks like we're getting close."

Pointing ahead...

The figure of the city, or at least part of it anyway, seems to materialize on the horizon.

"It's remarkably human in design... Don't you think?"

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

"Of course." A bright smile. "I wouldn't let them send you off to this place by yourself."

'Typical Celes,' Surga thought as he let out a small chuckle before he saw Celes turned her head slightly. Following her gaze, what greeted his eyes was something which took his breath away.

He'd heard of it in stories, he knew of it from books, but seeing the real thing as opposed to just words and pictures are still a very different experience. Seeing is believing, and it was today that Surga Utopia had finally laid his eyes on the world humans once called home; A world entirely encased in crystal, a sight so unique and pretty despite being the mark of the Fimbulwinter. While he couldn't see past the crystals at this distance, he had to admit that he was rather curious of what the world once known as Earth looked like.

Originally Posted by Celes Lethe

"Although, it's also my first time away from home," speaking without looking at you, but clearly talking to you, Celes seems to pause for a bit before continuing, "Never even been to another Celestia, so I guess it's kind of an adventure."

'Well that confirms it; we're even more similar than I imagined' Surga thought as he couldn't help but saw himself and Celes as shut-ins. No doubt someone at Ecclesia would pick on it, saying that he and Celes are "children naive to how the world really worked" or something among those lines. Just like him, Celes didn't sound very excited, but there was a difference between them. Surga genuinely hated travelling, so the idea of adventure didn't really make him happy. On the other hand, while Celes usually avoid travelling, she wasn't opposed to it either. Her grin was the proof of that.

Originally Posted by Celes Lethe

"But hey, it looks like we're getting close."

Sure enough, Surga could see a part of the Celestia known as Eccleasia in the horizon. The place where he and Celes would spend a few years of their lives... In that sense, Ecclesia would soon become a new home for both of them, with all of the angels, devils and Gods as their neighbors. It would certainly be... different.

Originally Posted by Celes Lethe

"It's remarkably human in design... Don't you think?"

"I guess so." Surga replied as he looked at Ecclesia, which is getting closer every second. "Gods came from both Celestia and Netherworld, not to mention the angels and devils living there. It'd make sense to make the city as inoffensive as possible in design, and humans could be said as the middle ground between them."

In just a few minutes, his new life as God would truly began the moment he set foot in Ecclesia. Feeling his heartbeat beating faster and faster due to anxiety and excitement, Surga mentally prepared himself as he started to walk away.

"Come on Celes. We're landing in a few minutes."

Random Regalia Hijinks

<Mellon> But yeah. Don't play the waiting game too much guys. Just do what you want to do and let God (me) sort it out.

"Now, if that all sounds agreeable to you, I suppose you are free to go where you please until the ceremony. I'll handle your paperwork, cross reference with the other Celestia to perhaps find a clue about you, and do my best to find you two partners before the initiation battles. I believe the cafeteria should still be serving breakfast down on the first floor, there is no need for an I.D for now, your crystal itself should serve as enough of one. Although, if you're not hungry, I'm sure a few other Gods are hanging around the port, perhaps you could go introduce yourself... They'll be in almost all of your classes, after all."

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for your hard work, Soraumi-dono. I hope I have not caused too much undue trouble for you with my sudden arrival.”

And with those words, Shintarou was gently, but still quite forcefully guided out of the office of the blonde Archangel. Well, in some ways that was to be expected. Most likely he had already created a large amount of extra paperwork for Soraumi-dono simply by the virture of his existance. That is on top of the inherently high amount of responsibilities that her position no doubt entailed by itself. In all honesty, Shintarou wanted to offer his own assistance in at least filling out his own personal paperwork, but considering the circuimstances, he would most likely be more of a hindrance then of any assistance.

With that in mind, Shintarou turned away from the office door and headed down the hallway with measured steps, his crimson scarf billowing behind him. The veritable maze of rooms and corridors that awaited him however, was somewhat of an… unexpected suprise. In fact, Ecclesia was the only truly large building that Shintarou ever remembered entering in the first place. Well, the orphanage was pretty large (from his perspective), but to compare that to Ecclesia was akin to comparing the Sun to the Moon. The scale was simply incomparable. And due to the speed at which he was initially rushed through the school building, Shintarou didn’t particulary have the chance to come to terms with the almost labyrinthine layout of the school building. And it was not as if he had a handy map with him at this point.

At least the suggestions given to him by Soraumi-dono were relatively simple to grasp. The Cafeteria, if he was hungry, and the Port, if he was not. Despite the long trip to Ecclesia, Shintarou wasn’t particularly hungry, which left the Port as the preferred option in the current circuimstances. As the Port was a relatively significant landmark, there would no doubt some kind of signage around in this building that would guide him to his destination...

Was what Shintarou would have wanted to say, but after almost twenty minutes of what could only be called aimless wondering around Ecclesia, he had to accept the realities that lay before him.

And that reality just so happened to be the dead end of an unknown hallway.

“Lost, huh? Geez, this place is gigantic. I guess should have taken the right on the last right turn, intuition or no.”

An unbidden, amused grin arose on the young man’s face as Shintarou ran exasperatedly his hand through his dark hair.

“No, perhaps the right answer this time is to go opposite to what my gut is telling me?”

I could only smile as Cerys gave her heated explanation as to what made this school so great, which soon devolved into her talking about the cultural significance of the city and how it stood as a symbol of cooperation between Devils and Angels. Well at least it was good to know that one of us was excited about going to this place although I'll admit there was something in her explanation that stood out from all the rest for me.

Originally Posted by Cerys

Everyone there is supposed to be outrageously strong!"

Now that was something I could look forward to. I mean, what good could this school be in helping me to get stronger if all the people I was supposed to be competing against were nothing more than just a bunch of weaklings, right?

"Ah, I guess it's more important than I thought after all."

Originally Posted by Cerys

"It's different because you won't be used to her, you've gotten used to me, it's gonna be fun to watch~ I hope she's cute though... An uncute angel just seems wrong..."

"Eh?"

I could feel a bead of sweat forming as she winked at me again. I'm not sure why, perhaps it was the way she said it and left it off so ominously, but I was suddenly feeling kind of uncomfortable about this new roommate business. I won't be used to her...? Please, I highly doubt anyone could go and cause me as much trouble as Cerys has these past weeks. In fact this is just another one of her attempts as psyching me out, ain't it? Still what if she has a point and...

I shake my head and clear those thoughts from my mind, this would just end up being her victory if I pondered to much on it!

"N-nonsense, t-there's no way it'll be like that and I don't mind as long as they aren't troublesome."

Uurgh, and even still I go off and stutter like some kid over such a simple thing. Damn it, I'm God, I shouldn't be getting so worked up over nothing by my teacher! At least rather than continue on she opts to answer my question as to how long until we arrived at this "best school." Twenty minutes? Don't think I would have believed her if it wasn't for the ship starting to race forward as soon as she said that.

Originally Posted by Cerys

"Of course, that's assuming nothing tries to stop us on the way there. These sorts of ships have a reputation for being attacked by Dragons. F.A.T.E isn't very nice, so if we get unlucky, someone in here might have to go punch one off the sky deck."

Let me guess...

Originally Posted by Cerys

"They'd probably expect you to do it actually."

"Yeah, I figured as much, being God and all, it's my job to answer the prayers of the people. Just so happens that punching out giant, flying lizards is just one of said prayers."

Granted even if these people didn't want me to go out and deal with it, I would. These monsters were that thing's creations, and since I couldn't do anything about that abomination yet I'd just have to settle for deriving some sort of satisfaction from crushing its minions.

Raising my arms up, I stretched while yawning, before laying my hands on the back of my head as I continued to look outside the window.

"Have you tried listening to that crystal in your chest? If you want to get somewhere bad enough, it'll lead you there... Eventually."

The moment you get lost, decisively lost, facing the only dead end hallway in the entire school building, the amused voice of a female student reaches your ears. While ordinarily this wouldn't be too odd, one of the main reasons why you had gotten lost was simply because no one else was around to tell you where to go, they all seemed to be outside of the building, heading away from the school facility towards the port, curiosity over the new students evidently a big thing in this school, although it was perfectly possible that some of them were just on the sub-levels of the building, but...

You had yet to find any stairs either...

So when you turned to find a rather cheerful looking young woman standing there, dressed in the black student's uniform with a golden cross around her neck, it is with some relief, banishing the idea that this building had somehow changed its layout on you multiple times in the past fifteen minutes.

...Because that had seemed to be what was happening.

"I'll admit I was pretty surprised," still talking without waiting for a response, the azure haired student's amusement seems to be endless, "You managed to find the one dead end in the entire building, that's some serious luck right there, new kid."

The Crystal in your chest felt warm now, as if it was reacting to her presence...

You had yet to meet another one, it hadn't started resonating around the archangel, so this person...

Was probably also "God."

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

There were definitely people watching, that much was clear to you the moment the ship safely pulled into port and you stepped off, flanked not just by Celes, but by the other angels from your Celestia. In that sense, their presence may have been comforting simply because the eyes of others, up on the other, higher levels of the floating city, were eyes of people who were most definitely strangers, here to catch a glimpse of the new "God."

And, unfortunately, as someone who was not an angel, you probably stuck out to their eyes.

Still, you did your best to ignore it, and started forward, remembering the instructions you had been given before leaving home. You were supposed to meet up with your "assigned devil," here, the one who had given half of her soul to your crystal, and she would apparently bring all of you to the main school building. Of course, you had no idea what she looked like, so, in essence, it was more a matter of said devil finding you, than of you finding her, thankfully...

"Well, looks like we meet again kids, and you're both awake this time. The name's Leliel Ayanokoji~"

She finds you relatively quickly, having been waiting at the end of the dock for your ship to arrive. She was tall, far taller than you or Celes, and thanks to her slightly tighter than usual uniform, you could also tell with a glance that she was much more developed than your childhood friend, her choice of clothing reflecting the fact that she seemed to be well aware of this. Unlike the two of you, who were still rather uncertain, the devil seemed to radiate confidence, walking with perfect posture and poise, and showing absolutely no hesitation or fear with marching straight up to a host of angels. Her presence feels familiar, in spite of the fact that this is your first face to face meeting, and your crystal, which had been 'humming' lively ever since Celes had gotten close to you, had heightened ever so slightly in pitch as she draws near.

"Ignore them," nodding her head back slightly, at the people you can see on the levels above peering down at the port, the green haired woman smiles, "They're just curious, it's nothing to be nervous about~"

"I-I wasn't nervous!"

Speaking up, Celes seems oddly defensive... But also makes it pretty obvious that yes, she had, in fact, been some form of nervous.

"Oh, you're a cute one~"

Eyeing Celes for a moment, a brief flicker of her eyes, the woman returns to you soon enough, her hand outstretched towards you in what seemed an innocent enough gesture for a handshake.

"What about you, Lord? Are you the nervous type~"

Last edited by Airen; September 8th, 2015 at 10:28 AM.

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

"Well yeah there's the prayers aspect, but people tend to get lazy when God is around..."

Still talking, the woman seems determined to fill this entire trip with an absolutely relentless flow of conversation.

"Although a dragon shouldn't be too much of a problem, a ship of this size could handle being hit by a couple for hours, as long as it hasn't completely turned into an aberration anyway... If that was the case, it'd be less blowing off steam, and more of a fight not to get shot down. Might need the whole crew for that."

Yeah.

Aberrations.

The name for those monsters that have been severely infected with F.A.T.E's magic, the symptoms were the same in all of them, it seemed the sealed demon god took control of them through a sort of crystal-like parasite, or cancer, first taking over their minds, before slowly converting them into things that looked like they were completely made of the same ice that covered the human world. The more infected they were, the more of F.A.T.E's power they seemed to be able to carry, and as the highest class of normal monster...

A Complete Dragon Aberration might as well be called a "Dragon God."

They had been known to kill off Gods anyway.

Thankfully it seemed to take a good eighty years for a dragon to get completely consumed...

The infection seemed to come from staying on the surface of the human world too long, and seemed to only be able to affect corpses, so there was one rule that anyone who had ever been to the crystal world had deemed fit to follow.

If you have to die, don't do it on the human world.

There was nothing saying a "God," couldn't be revived and controlled in the same way.

It hadn't happened yet.

But yet was the key phrase there.

Having all of this explained to you, again, the monotony of a lecture you had heard one thousand times is interrupted by the feeling of the ship shaking, violently. Such a thing was normal, turbulence, it happened, but...

Another shake.

Inside the cabin, twenty different magical signatures flare to life at once.

"Well, I guess it makes sense that we're the lucky ones, we've got a God on board."

Grumbling to herself, Cerys's own aura is growing, and, now that you have others to compare it too...

You are rather alarmed to find that hers is the strongest one in here besides your own.

"Where is it...? Portside? The top?"

Looking out the windows and seeing nothing, the teacher takes an unnecessary step to combat.

After all.

If you really wanted to know where it was, all you had to do was go to the sky deck.

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

"Have you tried listening to that crystal in your chest? If you want to get somewhere bad enough, it'll lead you there... Eventually."

A sudden female voice echoed out from behind him, knocking Shintarou out of his reverie for the moment. The words reaching him caused him to burst into a well meaning chuckle, before the young man turned around to address the newcomer.

“Will it now? I guess I’ll be sure to keep it in mind the next time I need to get somewhere… eventually.”

"You managed to find the one dead end in the entire building, that's some serious luck right there, new kid."

“Indeed. It seems that I am exceptionally skilled in the art of getting lost, aren't I?” The smile on Shintarou’s face turned a shade more apologetic. “Though in all honesty, its been a while since I have been indoors, so I guess this much was to be expected.”

His counterpart had turned out to be a cheerful-looking blue-haired girl dressed in, what Shintarou could only assume was the female variant of the Ecclesia school uniform. At least he hoped that was the case, even though it was somewhat doubtful that the golden cross draped around her neck shared the same distinction. And judging from the warm, pulsing glow that Shintarou felt spreading through his chest, the girl in front of him was one of his divine counterparts.

A “God”. Or was the correct term in this context a “Goddess”?

Either way, Shintarou extended his hand in greeting towards the young woman in front of him.

“The name is Shintarou. Shintarou Shisioka. Nice to meet you.”

“And as you are clearly already aware, its my first day here in Ecclesia. Just arrived an hour or so ago, in fact.”

Adjusting his crimson scarf, a rather hesitant chuckle echoed from the newly minted “God”.

“This is kind of embarrassing at this point, but…. would you mind pointing me towards the Port, Ms….?"

Upon disembarking, Surga Utopia was immediately reminded why he hates crowds. There were too many eyes, too many people that were watching him; Compared to this, the crowds he encountered in the airship cannot even be called "crowds". Flanked by Celes and a few other angels, Surga chose to ignore the crowds and tried to find his assigned devil, the one who are supposed to bring him to the main school building.

He didn't even know what she looked like, so it would be more accurate to say that the devil is the one who are supposed to find him. Nevertheless, Surga tried to keep an eye on his surroundings--

Originally Posted by Leliel Ayanokoji

"Well, looks like we meet again kids, and you're both awake this time. The name is Leliel Ayanokoji~

'Speak of the devil,' Surga thought as he looked at the approaching woman.

She was tall, much taller than Surga or Celes, with long green hair and a playful smile on her face. Her tighter-than-usual uniform emphasize her well-developed body, and from how she adress them both as kids Surga deducted that the woman is older than himself or Celes. The air of confidence which surrounds the woman also support this, and from how she approached them so casually despite the presence of angel hosts, it was likely that the devil had a ton of experience under her belt. As she gets closer and closer, the humming of Surga's crystal became stronger; without doubt, this Leliel Ayanokoji has shared a portion of her soul with him.

with Celes didn't leave a good impression on Surga. No, rather than her interaction with Celes, it was her general demeanor which doesn't resonate well with Surga. From how she dressed to how she seemed to sing-song her words, it was quite clear that Leliel is either the teasing type or the seductive type; both of which are the most common potrayal of female devils. Her height and age also put her at an advantage against both Surga and Celes who are both shorter and younger than her, and while she seemed nice enough, devils are quite well-known for lying and acting to gain what they wanted.

If she was an honest devil, then her experience will be a valuable asset. If she was lying... then Surga and Celes would be at her mercy because of their inexperience. It was because of these thoughts that Surga decided to observe Leliel while remaining cautious; these are merely a first impression after all, and they can be proven wrong. Given enough time, Surga is confident that he'll be able to discern Leliel's true nature, and no lies nor act will prevent that from happening.

Originally Posted by Leliel Ayanokoji

"What about you, Lord? Are you the nervous type~"

"No. I disliked crowds, but I am not someone who easily get nervous."

There was no trace of dislike in his voice, nor did his face shows any sign of disgust or distrust which may imply his negative first impression on Leliel. Indeed, ever since he set foot in Ecclesia, Surga Utopia has donned a neutral and impassive mask which was neither cold nor welcoming. As a God, it wouldn't do him any good if he intimidates everyone, but if he is too nice he may also leave a weak impression. The middle neutral ground would be the best for this situation.

"While you may already know our name, an introduction never hurt. I am Surga Utopia, and she is Celes Lethe. Is it okay to call you Leliel?" Surga asked as he gestured for Leliel to take the lead.

"And please lead the way; we can talk while walking."

Last edited by palad1n; September 8th, 2015 at 12:35 PM.

Random Regalia Hijinks

<Mellon> But yeah. Don't play the waiting game too much guys. Just do what you want to do and let God (me) sort it out.

"Although a dragon...ship of this size...turned into an aberration anyway... If that was the case...more of a fight not to...need the whole crew..."

I can only hear bits and pieces of what she was saying about the dragons as I find myself drifting off to sleep, but always catching myself just as my eyes began to close. I'm sorry, but I just can't help it when I've heard all this even before I had become God. It being hammered into me on what felt like a daily basis after I did become one didn't really make it any better either.

Thankfully my battle against the nap-inducing lecture comes to an abrupt end when the entire ship seemed to quake. However it was neither that, nor the unnatural shake that soon followed after it that jolted me awake. Rather it was the sudden surge of magical energy within the cabin as several of the passengers seemed to have realized what exactly had been causing the compartment to tremble.

Something had boarded the ship, something that wasn't any ordinary dragon by the feel of it. Indeed, even Cerys seemed to be preparing herself to fight whatever it was that had landed and...wait, what's with this aura, Cerys? When did you get this strong? I mean I know you were tough, but you're making everyone else look like chumps, excluding me of course.

Something I'd need to remember to ask her later I guess, for now we've got a bigger problem to take care of.

Originally Posted by Cerys

"Where is it...? Portside? The top?"

The presence of nothing outside the windows seemed to answer her question, which meant that it was probably...

A smirk spread across my face as I began to feel a strange sense of excitement at what was happening. Perhaps before I probably would have cowered at the very thought of some powerful monster, let alone that said monster was attacking a transport I was traveling in, but now...now I can't help but feel thrilled at finally having a chance to truly show what I was made of, no matter what it was that may be up there. Bonus points if it also means I get to put down one of F.A.T.E's stronger thralls.

"And well, I guess I could point the way, but I'm not entirely sure that would solve the problem," straightening her posture now, the goddess's grin widens, "You seem like the type that would still get lost somehow, so perhaps a grand tour of the school is in order! Going down to the docks would just get you harassed anyway," shrugging, but still in a clearly good mood, the woman winks, "The "Idol Goddess" just went down there herself, and her flock went with her, she'd make a beeline straight for you, obsessed with those good old first impressions. That, and showing off how popular she is..."

A pause, then...

"Well, I guess I'm pretty much doing something similar, minus the super popularity, but hey, at least I admit it. So hey, what do you say? It'll give me something to do while I'm dodging my assistants."

Last edited by Airen; September 8th, 2015 at 11:43 PM.

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

"Well, I am one of your partners, so you two can call me whatever you want so long as it's not super rude~ Even big sister is fine, if you want~"

Seemingly taking the lack of a handshake in stride, the green haired devil almost awkwardly pulls her arm back before spinning around, one arm raised into the air as if in celebration.

"And yeah sure, let's go heavenly host! If we hurry, we might miss the idol! If you hate crowds, you really won't want to run into her."

Not sure what she meant by this, but just thankful that she seemed agreeable enough, and didn't argue against your request, you, and the muttering angels behind you, fall into a sort of messy group as you march from the port. It was something that went against the social norms back home, a group of angels following along behind a devil, but none of the inhabitants of the city that you passed seemed to find it odd, or even give it a second look. There were both angels and devils working on ships down here, and even as you exit the port, starting up a massive stone staircase towards what seemed to be mountains, you could see a mixed group of both races heading over to do maintenance on the "Aurora."

Pretty tolerant place.

Leliel, in upkeep with the personality she has shown so far, continues to hum to herself as you go along, not offering any topics to talk about, perhaps because she wasn't sure of shared interests, or perhaps because she was seemingly content with just moving ahead at her own pace. Either way, after a bit the silence almost gets painful, at least to Celes, and you see her open her mouth to say something, perhaps curious about some aspect of the gateway you were moving through, or perhaps the garden, when-

"Oh boy. Here she comes. Looks like we can't duck it after all..."

Leliel stops, a look of slight amusement on her face.

"She? Who?"

Celes, asking the important questions.

"Serenade. Goddess #1. Most likely to succeed, most loved, that sort of girl. Looks like she's coming to say hi to the new gods. She tries to get along with everyone, can't tell if I like her or not myself, she sings even more than me~"

Before the devil can get any further.

The young woman, this "Serenade," appears in the distance. You could tell she was a God from afar, not just because of the way your crystal pulsed, hard, at her appearance, but because she was literally being carried by other students on top of a Litter, what seemed to her devil and her angel, on both sides of her. The vehicle itself almost looked like a mobile stage... There was definitely a microphone and a backdrop anyway, and while that was strange enough, the fact that the students carrying her seemed perfectly happy with doing it made it all the more surreal...

"Greetings, brother~"

As did the beeline she made for you, launching off of the litter into a series of flips, before landing behind Leliel, and in front of you, an almost supernaturally charming smile matching her pleasant voice.

"I am Serenade. I was hoping I would be able to meet you today, and thus, here I am, although I pray my presence does not bother you," still speaking, the girl, who seemed to be sincerely friendly, but whose state was nevertheless blurred, even to you, bows for a moment as if in apology, "It just excites me to have more of my kind around to speak with~ Please forgive me if I have bothered you in any way."

Another brief bow.

And you suddenly become aware of the eyes of all the students that had followed her here.

...A good portion of the school it looked like.

----

Wise Up

Name: Serenade (Stage Name?)
Age: 18?
Class: Idol Goddess

Perks

[I]-Divine Beauty-[I]
The beauty of the individual is such that it seems to have a supernatural, mind-altering effect on those exposed to it, making it more likely for the afflicted to agree with, or do the bidding of, the wielder. At this level, even those of the same gender, who would ordinary have no interest in the individual, can be affected depending upon the circumstance. Has a lesser effect on Gods, but it takes a large amount of conscious mental effort to resist it entirely. May have something to do with her success as an "idol." Further details unknown.

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

The first sign that it really was a dragon were the jaws that came to clamp down on you the instant you stepped out onto the sky deck. It hadn't been a particularly clever ambush, having moved faster than the rest of the devils, even faster than your guardian, more out of recklessness than pure speed, the beast's shadow had still been visible on the deck, a dark mass that didn't fit with the rest of the sun-bleached deck.

Naturally, you managed to avoid being eaten, rolling forward casually, twisting your body around to face the beast as it brings it's upper body down onto the deck, it's other half seemingly strewn across the back half of the ship. It was a Netherworld Dragon, that much was clear from the vibrant red scales, as well as the intense feeling of hell fire that melted part of the deck with each and everyone of it's breaths. However, thankfully, or perhaps disappointingly, it didn't seem to have been consumed by F.A.T.E's magic... There was the usual glint in the eyes, clear crystal replacing what should have been the burning red orbs of a majestic creature, but...

It was dead inside, a recent victim, judging by how little crystal there seemed to be on it's body.

With eyes like those, whatever life it had possessed was long gone, overridden by the will of the Demon God.

Killing it was probably a mercy, and dragon or not, you were still a God, the chance of you losing was low... So long as you paid attention to what you were doing anyway...

Gripping the hull of the ship, the beast throws it's weight to the side, shaking the vessel with more force than ever before as it's cavernous jaws open wide, seeking to roast you with the flames that burned deep inside of itself, even now.

And you-

Spoiler:

Death is nothing but a disease.
But it is one that often comes from all sides.
An end like that is coming, and yet here you are.

Tell me.

Could you kill someone you love for the sake of everyone else?

What a cynical worldview, Messiah.
Real heroes would find a different answer.

"I am Serenade. I was hoping I would be able to meet you today, and thus, here I am, although I pray my presence does not bother you," still speaking, the girl, who seemed to be sincerely friendly, but whose state was nevertheless blurred, even to you, bows for a moment as if in apology, "It just excites me to have more of my kind around to speak with~ Please forgive me if I have bothered you in any way."

'Fate seemed to hate me today, with all the crowds that I have encountered up to this point. First the crowds in the airship, then the crowds at the port, and finally the crowds who followed this Goddess Serenade', Surga thought as he observed the Goddess before him.

She was beautiful, so beautiful that calling it divine wouldn't be an overstatement. Her smile was charming and her voice was pleasant to be heard that Surga's heart couldn't help but skipped a beat; If Surga didn't have a better control on his emotions, he was sure that he, too, would have been charmed by Serenade.

But it wasn't only his control over his emotion which saved him. First of all, his crystal pulsed hard when the Goddess approached him; Surga had never met other Gods before so he wasn't sure, but he would like to think that this means Serenade is a pretty powerful Goddess, which is supported by the fact she seemed to have so many

believers

followers

. After all, the more faith God have, the more powerful they become, not to mention she seemed to be quite good in acrobatics if her jump and flips were of any indication.

Secondly, Surga cannot really tell what kind of person Serenade is. This greatly bothers him because he was quite proud of his observation skill, and other than the fact she seemed genuinely friendly, Surga cannot deduce anything else. Was she the kind of person who wanted to sincerely befriend everyone? Or maybe this was an act to get everyone under her thumbs?

There was only one information that he had on Serenade--
​

Originally Posted by Leliel

"Serenade, Goddess#1. Most likely to succeed, most loved, that sort of girl. Looks like she's coming to say hi to the new gods. She tries to get along with everyone, can't tell if I like her or not myself, she sings even more than me~"

--And that gave 2 contradictory answer. Most people seemed to love and adore her, and it seems that she was pretty famous for trying to get along with everyone. It was pretty much a sign that Serenade is genuinely friendly, and Surga would have believe it if not for that one particular line:

Originally Posted by Leliel

"Can't tell if I like her or not myself"

Leliel seemed to be a friendly devil, so why would she be unsure of what to think about a particularly friendly Goddess? Surga concluded that there must be something off with Serenade; not enough to dislike her, but enough to made Leliel think twice before she decided to like her. Surga made a mental note to ask her later, but for now...

"No, your presence does not bother me in any way." Surga replied as he, too, bowed slightly. "This is my first time seeing another God, so I guess I'm lucky to meet someone friendly like you. My name is Surga Utopia."

Truth be told, the presence of the majority of students which is now eyeing him bothers him quite a bit, and being in close proximity with Serenade's divine beauty actually made him quite nervous. But he didn't--couldn't--show any of that, lest he risked the wrath of Serenade's followers, so he would try this particular approach. If she was being friendly, then he would at least accept that friendliness; besides, being in her good side seemed to be the better option than the opposite. With that in mind, Surga extended his hand for a handshake as he offered a small smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Serenade."
===================

wise up!

Name: Surga UtopiaAge: 17Origin: Celestia

Perks

This Illusion

One to Thousand Emotion

The perk of controlling one's emotion. Surga can control his emotion to the extent that many cannot discern his true personality, intention and what he is thinking. This perk also blur the line between lies, truth, joke and seriousness. Not as effective to those who either know him well or possess an extra-ordinary observation.

Last edited by palad1n; September 8th, 2015 at 11:28 PM.

Random Regalia Hijinks

<Mellon> But yeah. Don't play the waiting game too much guys. Just do what you want to do and let God (me) sort it out.